Coping
by Colossal Titan's Hoe
Summary: Hey. I'm Iggy. A few months ago my dad killed my mom and brother. Im now moving into ARIC, the Abuse Rehabilitaion Institute of California. On my first day,I've already got a mystery on my hands. I want to learn Jab's side of the story. IggyXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I've read several stories where the main characters meet and fall in love in a help clinic after abuse and so on. I had a compulse to do a Max Ride one. Don't ask why. I guess I just really wanted to use Jab some more. Every time I make a new OC, I have the urge to use them in, like, a million freaking stories. As usual, Jiggy, Fax, and Nazzy. It's a place where the abused can forget their troubles and stay until they can handle themselves. It's a safe haven, equipt with anything and everything. Skating rink, gym, ballet room, you name it. Fang and Jab have been there since they were 13 (they're 18 now). Max has been there since she was 14 (she's 18). Iggy's new. He's 18. Nudge has been there since she was 14 (she's 17). Gazzy and Angel have been there for 2 years (Gazzy 17 and Angel 15). Gazzy and Nudge connected instantly. Okay, so, ENJOY! P. S. I changed Fang and Jab's eyes to ice blue, because I think it looks better. Note: Mainly inspired by Not Alone by MyNameIsCAL.  
Disclaimer: Maximum Ride. Don't own it.**

Chapter 1

**Iggy POV**

"Well, James. You've made a full recovery," Dr. Jenus said. "Well, phyically. How are you feeling?"

"Depressed," I admitted. Ever since the insident, I have felt paranoid and depressed and unable to trust anyone. I guess I had _some_ trust in the doctors, but I really, really wish they wouldn't call me James. I go by Iggy. I missed my family, well, my mother and little brother, at least. My father's the one that killed them. He would have kill me, too, but I got away, beat up as I was. He was in prison now, thank goodness, but I still lived in fear he'd get me. I'm just paranoid like that.

"I understand," she said. I met her brown eyes that were soft and kind, how they'd been since I've met her. She cared for me, like a mother, but I know better than to compare anyone to my real mother. "I would like to suggest a program that is in town, the ARIC **(Pronounced as a word when using an acronym. Pronounce as Erik)**. The Abuse Rehabilitation Instidute of California. It can help you with coping with what happened. There are plenty of people who have been abused just as you've been, in various ways." I thought about it.

"That actually sounds good," I said. "How much is it?"

"Only one payment of 45 dollars and then every visit is free after that," she said. I nodded. This is about the best thing I've heard for the past couple years, besides my father being locked- No, I wasn't even going to call him that. George. Since George was locked up.

"Sounds good. When can I sign up?" Dr. J took out a paper from her clipboard.

"I took the liberty of getting you a sheet," she said. I nodded and filled it out. The next day, I was moving into the ARIC. It was _huge_. I had read online that it had a gym, ice skating rink, playgrond, art center, you name it, it was there. When I walked in, the woman at the front desk asked me my name.

"James. James Griffiths," I said. She checked a clipboard - is that the new "thing"? - and nodded.

"You'll be in room 23 with Nick Mercy," she said. "Welcome to ARIC."

"Thanks." I walked down the hall of doors with numbers and names. Most were weird names like Ari and Nudge and Jab and so on. When I got to room 23, I expect to see "Nick" on the door, but instead it said "Fang". Huh. Must be a nickname. I sure as hell wasn't going to put "James" on the door. They'll think I was the freaking evil vampire from Twilight or something. I walked in. Fang, I assume, was sitting on a bed in the room, reading a book. He had really long black hair, like he hadn't been to the barber in a while. He looked at me when the door opened. His eyes were ice blue.

"You must be James," he said quietly. I nodded.

"Iggy," I corrected. He nodded in understanding and he turned back to his book. Not really expection a converstion, anyways, I put my stuff away.

"What happened to you?" he asked suddenly when I finished.

"What?"

"We all have a story. What's yours? Or you don't want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I'd rather not," I said. He nodded.

"Me and my twin sister came here 5 years ago," he said, "since we were 13. Our father abused us way before that, but we didn't do anything about, didn't tell anyone, because he threatened to kill mom and our little sister, who was 4 at the time. One day we came home late from school because my twin sister's friend, Cam, had a performance that she dragged me into. And when we got home, mom was on the floor dead, dad standing next to her bloody body and in the process of killing my baby sister. My twin sister, being her, went for him first. She's impulsive and very protective of those she loves. She lunged for him, just barely missing being stabbed herself. He did get in a few lucky jabs, a stab to the arm, and a punch to the gut that broke a rib. But she's strong, she fought. And, as hard as it is to believe, she won. I had been going to check and see if mom and our baby sister were okay. They were dead. When my twin had knocked our father unconscious, she took the knife from his hand and threw it across the room. She pulled out her cell and dialed 911 and everything after that was a blur." I stared, wide-eyed at him. That sounded a lot like when happened to me.

"That's what happened to me," I admitted. Fang looked up at me, eyebrows raised.

"Really? There are only a toddler's handful of people here who have gone through what happened to us."

"Yeah, I kind of hate my dad," I admitted.

"Don't we all?" I laughed, something I hadn't done for the past while.

"So, why'd you decide to stay for 5 years?" I asked.

"It feels safer here. That's what it's for. For its patients to feel safe and comfortable so they can get over their abuse. Some are abused by parents, others by friends, and some by complete strangers."

"Sounds like home," I muttered.

"This place is homier than our home. We'd rather live here," he said simply, returning to his book. After a while, he put his book down. I looked at him. I'd been laying down on my bed, listening to my iPod.

"Dinner," he said. I nodded and got up. He showed me to the dining room. It was huge, the size of half of a football field, flooding with people that were probably 9 to 21. Maybe older. I sat with Fang. He sat with 5 people. Next to him was a girl with raven black curly hair and ice blue eyes, the same color as Fang's. This was probably his twin sister. She was really pretty. She was next to a girl with dirty blond hair and brown eyes. Then it was a dark skinned girl with deep brown wildly curly hair and dark brown eyes. Next to her was a blond boy with blue eyes. Next to him was a girl with the same hair and eyes. She looked to be the youngest of the group.

"Guys, this is Iggy. He's a newbie here, so be easy on him. That means you, Gazzy," Fang said, looking at the blond boy.

"What? Why me?" he asked innocently.

"Because you like to make explosives," he accused.

"Explosives? I love explosives," I said. Gazzy brightened.

"I like you," he said.

"_Anyways_," Fang said. "Don't be rude. Introduce yourselves." This was directed at everyone but his sister.

"Hey, I'm Max," the older blond girl said.

"I'm Nudge, Gazzy's girlfriend," the dark skinned girl said.

"I'm Angel, Gazzy's sister," said the last blond girl.

"And this is-" Fang started, nodding toward his sister.

"I'm Jab, Fang's sister," she interrupted meekly. Everyone stared at her like she'd just grown a 3rd arm on her head and then retracted it.

"What?" I asked them.

"Jab never talks to anyone but us," Nudge said, dazed. Jab looked back down to her food, giving a short, wordless shrug.

"Just being polite," she muttered nearly inaudibly. She was frowning and picking at her uneaten chicken. I noticed the dark circles under her eyes and long, ragged pink scars on her arms. She caught me looking and smiled wryly. "Battle scars." She tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing a tattoo that said Fang and had a ying-yang sign on it. She pushed her tray away from her. "I'm not hungry."

"Come on. You didn't eat lunch or breakfast. Eat something," Max encouraged, rubbing her back. Jab took one look at her untouched food and shook her head no.

"I'm not hungry," she repeated. She stood and walked out.

"Did I do something?" I asked them.

"No, she just had it the worst between the two of us," Fang assured. "But she has to tell you about that if she wants to." I nodded and suddenly food seemed like the worse thing ever. So I stayed seated and waited for Fang to get done with his food.

"Not eating?" he asked me. I shook my head no. When he stood up, along with everyone else, I followed in suit.

"We're all going to watch a movie. You in?" Fang asked.

"Sure," I shrugged. They led me to a room full of bean bag chairs and couches and had a big movie-like screen. The theater, obviously. We found Jab sitting on a big blue beanbag.

"Hey," she greeted us quietly. We sat down, and I ended up on the floor next to Jab's beanbag.

"How old are you?" Jab's question took me off guard. The movie hadn't started yet.

"Um, 18," I said. She nodded and looked up at the ceiling fans.

"Yeah, me, too," she mumbled and then sighed. "Sorry for being rude earlier."

"No, you weren't being rude," I assured.

"I beg to differ," she said, still looking up. "Dad, mom, friend, or stranger?"

"Huh?"

"Who abused you?" she clarified.

"Dad," I said. She nodded.

"Ditto." It seemed like she was trying to have a conversation, which she obviously wasn't use to. Her cheeks were stained pink.

"If... If talking makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to," I assured. She shook her head no.

"No, it's okay." The lights turned off and the beginning of _Titanic _came on.

"Come, Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up she goes. Up she goes," Jab muttered with Jack during the "I'm Flying" scene.

"Leonardo de Caprio was soooo cute in this," Nudge whispered to the girls.

"Yeah," they agreed.

"Damn I wish I were Rose right now," Max muttered.

"Shut up and watch the movie," Gazzy hissed.

"Sorry," they whispered. I suppressed a chuckle.

"Why, Mr. Big Artiste. I can't imagine Monsieur Monet blushing," Jab muttered when Jack was drawing Rose in the nude.

"He does landscapes," I whispered. Jab looked at me and giggled. "Just relax your face."

"Sorry." She laughed again.

"No laughing." She straightened her face and turned back to the screen. She started crying when they did the montage of the old couple in their bed while the room filled with water and the kids in their bed with their mother reading them a story. So was every other girl in the room.

"Dammit, Smith," Jab muttered. They were all balling when Rose let go of Jack's hand and he fell to the bottom.

"Leo!" they sobbed.

"It's just a movie!" some of the guys yelled at them.

"How do you know!" they sobbed back. The guys just rolled their eyes and turned back around.

"Women," Fang muttered, earning a pop by Jab. "Ow! Sorry!"

"I would have pawned that shit," Nudge muttered when old Rose threw the Heart of the Sea into the water.

"To hell with pawning. I'd keep that thing. It's gorgeous," Jab disagreed. Then came more crying when Rose died warm in her bed like she'd promised Jack she would and they showed the pictures of all the stuff she did like the flying the plane and riding the horse.

"Good grief," I muttered. Girls here were soooo sensitive. Then again...

"Exactly," Jab said. I looked at her.

"Exactly what?"

"I'm kind of a mind reader. Only I don't get inside your head or anything. I can tell by just the look on your face what you were thinking. You were thinking how girls here were sensetive. And then you rethought it." I nodded.

"That is quite a gift," I commented as the lights came on.

"Thanks." She blushed.

"What'd you do to her?" Max asked. "She's blushing."

"I said her ability to read people was quite a gift," I shrugged.

"Yeah, I'll say. It's nearly impossible to hide anything from her. The only person that can is Fang," Max said.

"I heard my name. What's up?" Fang asked.

"I complimented Jab's ability to read people and Max said you were the only person she couldn't read," I filled him in.

"Yeah, and she hates it," Fang said, smirking.

"Damn right I do," Jab grumbled, folding her arms across her chest and standing up. "And I'll be in my room if anyone... Yeah." And then she walked off.

"I worry about her all the time," Fang said, frowning as Jab rounded the corner out the door.

"She's nice, though. And she looks like she would never do anything to try and hurt herseflt, since she knows that would hurt you, Max, and all." He looked at me weird. "What? Jab isn't the only one who can read people." He laughed and started walking away, so I followed, because, honestly, I couldn't remember where our room was.

**Hey! It's snowing, I'm stuck in the house, and I'm bored. Today was wacky tacky day, yesterday was 80s day, tomorrow is Nerdy Geek Day, Thursday is Twin Day, and Friday is College/High School Team Day. I love Spirit Week :)**

**Love,  
Ashley**


	2. 1 Step 4ward 2 Steps Back 3 Steps 4ward

_A Week Later_

**Iggy POV**

"Hey, Ig," Jab said silently, sitting next to me at breakfast with nothing but an apple, but still she didn't seem like she was going to eat it. Same old, same old.

"Hey," I said, smiling a little. She just laid her head on the table and rolled the apple back and forth, contemplating whether she should eat it or not.

"It's been a week since you came here." She smiled a little and stopped the apple.

"It is, isn't it?" I nodded and took a bite of my omlet. She proceded with rolling the apple. It was early. We were always the first two in the cafeteria, minus the cooks.

"Eat something? Please? And stop beating the apple up." She stopped rolling it and eyed it.

"Not hungry," but her stomach growled, giving her away.

"Mhmm, and my name is pumpernickle bread. Now eat. You'll starve."

"I don't want anything."

"Don't lie to me..." I looked at her, laying my head down so it was parallel to hers. "What happened to you?"

"Fang already told you. My dad killed my family and stabbed me." She shrugged.

"There's something more... something Fang isn't entitled to tell me. What is it?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

"You're lying. You do that too much."

"If I tell you, will you promise not to treat me any different?"

"Of course." She took a breath and then let it out.

"My dad... before he killed my family... he abused me, but no one, not even Fang, knew about it until we moved here. He use to rape me. I wouldn't go anywhere with him unless Fang or mom was with me. I was scared what he'd do when he got me alone. I thought about killing myself... but I decided that Fang, my little brother, and mom needed me too much. I put up a good facade, smiling and laughing. They were usually real if I wasn't thinking about or near dad." A tear rolled down her cheek. I wiped it away.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. She smiled slightly and shook her head.

"It's not your fault, it doesn't matter. Really." She sighed and looked at the apple, before taking a bite of it. That was the first time I'd ever seen her eat. She swallowed it and smiled.

"Happy?" And then she threw the apple in the trash.

"Yes, I am, even though I would have preferred for you to finish the apple." I looked at my untouched bacon, offering her a strip. She shook her head and then her stomach growled. She sighed and took it, eating it. "See, isn't that better than acting anorextic?"

"I guess." She shrugged and picked up a strawberry from my plate. I smiled and scooted my plate in front of her. There was only a couple pieces of bacon, some berries, and a sausage link on it. She ate it tentatively, and when the others walked in, they gaped at her as she ate the last stawberry.

"_What_ did you do? I've been trying to get her to eat forever!" Max exclaimed. I shrugged and they sat down.

"It doesn't matter when he did. She's eating!" Nudge cheered, hugging us both. Jab laughed and little and unwapped her arms, getting up.

"Where're you going?" Fang asked.

"To get more berries," she smiled, trotting up to the fruit bar. They stared after her and then at me.

"Miracle... worker!" Angel sighed. "You completely changed her!"

"Not completely, just her eating habits." I shrugged.

"I guess, but she seems happier. She's not slouching and she didn't do a half smile, she full out _smiled!_" Max exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

"What were you guys doing?"

"She told me what happened to her." Fang nodded.

"Anything else?"

"I kept telling her to eat and she took a bite out of her apple and then threw it away. And then I gave her my plate and she ate it. I guess she missed eating." I shrugged as Jab sat back down between me and Fang with a plate load of fruit, from grapes to strawberries to blackberries to mango slices to diced pears to slices peaches to sliced grapefruit, sugar sprinkled over it.

"I can't believe my eyes," Fang said, smiling. "You're _actually eating_!"

"I know, huh?" she agreed, poping a grape into her mouth. "Something just clicked into place in my head and I suddenly wanted to eat." She shrugged and her food was gone within 5 minutes. The others had hardly touched their food, due to them staring at her ravenous eating. She rolled her eyes at them and threw her plate away. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." I laughed.

"Anyone know what today's movie is?" Max asked as they turned to their own food.

"I think it's _The Proposal_," Fang shrugged.

"Cool. Guin said she saw that and it was awesome."

"Guin?"

"Her best friend from outside of ARIC. You'll probably meet her today. It's visitor day, after all." Ari, Max's 7-year-old little brother, busted through the door, running toward us.

"Come on!" he panted when he stopped in front of us. "You _have_ to see this!" We looked at each other and then followed him out. He led us out to the living room with its many TVs with beanbags and chairs and couches in front of them. He turned one on to a news station, where an anchor woman was talking into the microphone in front of a two storey brick house.

"That's my house," Fang and Jab whispered at the same time.

"Shh," Ari shushed them.

"Five year ago we reported the murder of locals Kendra and Charlie Mercy, mother and sister of survivors Jabrielle and Nicholas Mercy. The thunder twins managed to escape with their lives all those years ago at the age of 13. Their father was sentenced to life in prison for murder and attempted murder, along with some confidential charges." I had a feeling those "confidential charges" were the rape and abuse charges pressed by Jab. "But we come to you now with breaking news. This murderer has escaped. If you see this man," a picture of a man with curly black hair and jade green eyes came up, "please call the local police right away. It could mean safty for Jabrielle and Nick, as well as for everyone else." We were silent for a while and then Jab started crying, falling down onto a beanbag. Fang dropped down next to her, putting on a brave face, though you could still tell he was scared. He hugged her and whispered that things would be alright. She hid her head in his shoulder and cried. The rest of us joined in, wrapping our arms around her and trying to get her to stop crying. Fang pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

"Listen, that monster isn't getting anywhere near you, not as long as I'm alive." Jab sniffled.

"You don't know that," she mumbled.

"Yes I do. I also know that he's going to go back to prison and we're going to be rid of him." Jab's lip trembled a little and tears still spilled out of her eyes, but other than that, she had stopped sobbing and had some control back.

"Do you think he's looking for us?" she asked meekly.

"Maybe," Fang said truthfully. "But, like I said, he's not getting anywhere near us."

"Okay," she sniffled, her head on his chest. Max took Jab back to their room. I sighed as me and Fang went back to our room.

"I hope she's okay," I whispered.

"Me too. I can't stand her being in as much pain as she already was. And now he's out and she's in more pain. I never want her to be in pain."

"She's really fragile, isn't she?" I asked. He nodded with a sigh.

"I miss my old Jab. The one who use to eat bubble gum lips gloss and go out to school dances with her friends. I just really miss her."

"I can imagine."

_An Hour Later_

Fang got up from his bed and told me that Guin would be here soon and I could come meet her if I wanted. I shrugged and followed him out. We went out to the living room and sat with everyone else. Me and Fang flanked Jab, and she laid her head on my shoulder.

"How you holding up?" I whispered.

"Good, I guess," she murmured back. I nodded and stroked her hair. A lot of people were in the living room, waiting for their visitors. A girl with blonde hair and pale green eyes walked up and smiled at Jab, kneeling down and hugged her without a word.

"Hey," the girl, presumably Guin, whispered.

"Hey," Jab whispered back. Guin pulled back.

"I heard..." She trailed off, and you could tell she was talking about Jab's dad. "He's not getting anywhere hear you, you heard me?" Jab nodded, though she didn't look too sure of it, and then Guin turned toward the rest of us and smiled. She noticed me.

"Where are my manners? I'm Guin, Jab's best friend. You are?"

"James. But people call me Iggy." She raised her eye brows and then looked back at a slightly flushed Jab.

"Jabby, can I... talk to you for a second? Alone?" Guin asked sweetly. Jab looked terrified, but followed her anyways. They stood over at the far wall, talking in hushed tones. Guin looked at my and then back at Jab.

"What're they talking about?"

"Beats me," Fang shrugged. Max scoffed.

"They're talking about you, dimwit," she said to me, rolling her eyes. "Why else would she look at you?"

"Sorry, jeez! I don't know about the way you female brains work." I rolled my eyes and they looked back at the girls. "What aabout me?"

"Lord help this boy," Max groaned. "Jab likes you! It's so friggin' obvious. Well, to girls it is. Of course, she'd never admit it, but..." She looked back the two girls. "Figures the one person in the world she'd tell is Guin. They've been best friends since kindergarten."

"Soo... let me straighten this out. Jab likes me? That plain and simple?"

"Yeah, pretty much. After sharing a room with her since I've been here, she gets easy to read." She looked at Fang. "I wish that was true for a certain other person." He rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead.

"Shush."

"Wait, wait wait! When did you guys get together?"

"We've been together for a while. Where have you been?" Fang smiled, putting an arm around her waist.

"I... don't know."

"Wow. You really _are_ oblivious to love."

"It's not exactly the center of my life." I shrugged.

"It might become it," Nudge and Angel said mystically, waving their fingers in my face. I rolled my eyes and waited for Guin and Jab.


End file.
